These fudgy and rich dairy free brownies are made without butter and have a dreamy crinkly top that makes the perfect brownie!
Dairy-free brownies are a delicious alternative for those with lactose intolerance or following a dairy-free diet.
These brownies are made without any dairy ingredients such as butter, milk, or chocolate containing milk solids.
Instead, they use substitutes like vegetable oil, and dark chocolate to achieve the same rich and fudgy texture.
They are made with both dark chocolate and cocoa powder to give them a rich chocolate flavor.
These brownies can be just as indulgent and satisfying as traditional ones, offering a tasty treat for those looking to enjoy a sweet dessert without compromising on dietary restrictions.
If you love making brownie recipes, check out our brownie bites, small batch brownies, sprinkle brownies, oreo brownies, biscoff brownies, and our dulce de leche brownies.
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Why this recipe works
- Ease- these brownies are easy to make. They come together in just one bowl and are made with simple pantry ingredients. All you need for these brownies is a bowl and a whisk.
- Chocolaty- these brownies are extra chocolaty brownies that are made with both dark chocolate and dutch cocoa powder.
- Texture- these are the perfect brownies: have a crispy and crackly top and fudgy and gooey in the middle with lots of chocolate flavor.
- Time- this brownie recipe is made in under an hour from start to finish! So its great if you need a quick dessert if you are craving brownies or having friends or family over.
Ingredients
Before you start to make this recipe, measure and prepare your ingredients so the cooking process will go smoothly and easily.
Full measurements are in the recipe card below.
Flour– we used all-purpose flour for this recipe, self-rising flour, and cake flour will work great as well. For dry ingredients, you will only need flour. No leveners in this recipe.
Dutch cocoa powder– I like to use Dutch-process cocoa powder for our brownies because we like the deep and rich chocolate taste, but the natural cocoa powder will work great as well!
Granulated sugar– we like to use granulated sugar, also the most common sugar used in baking. Caster sugar will work great as well.
Eggs– To give the brownies a good structure. Make sure you’re using room-temperature eggs. You will need two large eggs for this recipe.
Egg yolk- makes these brownies extra fudgy.
Vegetable oil – we used vegetable oil for this recipe. Canola oil, olive oil, and coconut oil will work great for this recipe.
Vanilla extract- vanilla extract adds extra flavor. For extra vanilla flavor, use vanilla bean extract.
Salt– We used kosher salt for this recipe. Salt doesn’t give the brownies a salty taste, it helps to enhance the chocolate flavor.
Dark chocolate- use the best quality dark chocolate that you can find.
Instructions
Preheat an oven to 180c (350f) and prep a parchment paper-lined 8 by 8-inch baking pan.
In a large mixing bowl, add the wet ingredients: sugar, vegetable oil, eggs, egg yolk, salt, espresso powder, and vanilla extract, and sift the cocoa powder. Stir with a whisk until the mixture is combined.
Add melted chocolate (melt it in the microwave or on a bain-marie) and mix well with a whisk.
Add the flour and mix until just combined. You don’t want to develop the gluten in the flour. This step ensures you have fudgy and moist brownies and not dense and dry brownies.
Pour the batter into a parchment paper-lined baking pan and bake in a 180c (350f) preheated oven for about 30 minutes or until the tops of the brownies are crinkly.
Allow the brownies to cool for about 1 hour before slicing, so they won't crumble and fall apart. Slice and enjoy!
Expert Tips
- Use room temperature ingredients. It is important that you use room-temperature ingredients like eggs. This step ensures that your mixture mixes into a homogenous mixture and bakes perfectly.
- Don’t overmix the batter, you don’t want to develop the gluten in the flour. This step ensures you have fudgy and moist brownies and not dense and dry brownies.
- Measure your flour correctly! When measuring your flour, avoid scooping it with a measuring cup. Instead, stir the flour with a spoon to create as many air pockets as possible, and spoon it into your measuring cup. Finally, level it with a back of a knife.
- Add some of your favorite add-ins! Make this recipe your own and add your favorite muffins add-ins: chocolate chips, chopped walnuts, chopped pecans, chocolate chunks, M&M, caramel sauce, white chocolate, kinder, toffee, and more! Be creative!
- Be patient! I know it’s extremely tempting to eat these brownies as they are pulled out of the oven, but let these brownies cool for at least 20 minutes so they will be firmer and won’t crumble up.
- Don’t overbake your brownies! To have super fudgy brownies, we like to underbake the brownies a little bit.
- Ensure you line your baking pan with parchment paper to prevent the brownies from sticking to the pan.
Faq's
We like to use Dutch prosses cocoa powder because it gives the cake a deeper rich chocolate taste, but the natural cocoa powder will work! It’s just a personal preference.
It can be pretty hard to know when your brownies are done baking, but we have a few tricks to figure that out.
If the brownies have a shiny and crinkly top, they should be ready. When you insert a toothpick into the brownies and the toothpick is covered with wet batter, let it bake for a few more minutes and check again to get the perfect brownie.
This may mean that you overbaked your brownies. I always underbake the brownies by a little bit, because the brownies keep cooking in the cooling process and I love a chewy center.
Storing
For optimal freshness, make sure to store these delicious brownies at room temperature. Simply seal them in an airtight container to keep them moist and flavorful for up to 4 days.
Freezing
To freeze brownies, wrap them in plastic wrap or foil, then seal them in an airtight container or resealable bag. Brownies can be frozen for up to 2 months.
Thaw them at room temperature overnight to allow them to soften up and turn fudgy again.
Substitutions
Chocolate- you can swap the dark chocolate with milk chocolate or semisweet chocolate!
Vegan butter- if you don't want to use oil in your brownies, you can use 150 g of dairy free butter instead.
Gluten-free- you can swap the flour with gluten-free flour to make these gluten-free. I never tested this recipe with gluten-free flour, but it should work.
Variations
Chocolate chips- add chocolate chips to the brownie batter for an extra chocolate flavor!
Marshmallows- add mini marshmallows to the brownie batter for extra texture and flavor!
Nuts- sprinkle chopped almonds, walnuts, or pecans on top of your brownie batter before baking for a crunchy and nutty twist.
Fruit- add fresh or dried fruit! I like adding strawberries, raspberries, and blackberries!
Caramel- after baking, drizzle dairy-free caramel sauce over the cooled brownies and sprinkle with sea salt for a sweet and salty contrast.
Zest- add an unexpected twist by incorporating 1 teaspoon of lemon zest or orange zest for a citrusy touch.
Oreos- add chopped Oreos for an Oreo brownie flavor! Make sure to fold in the chopped Oreos gently so they are evenly distributed
Serving tips
Whipped cream- top each slice of cake with a dollop of whipped cream.
Vanilla ice cream- add a large scoop of ice cream next to a slice of this cake.
Fresh fruit- another way to serve brownies is next to fresh fruit like strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, etc.
Equipment
- Mixing bowl (set of 3)
- Whisk Set (pack of 3) to whisk the ingredients together.
- Brownie pan
- Rubber spatula
More brownie recipes
Fudgy brownies- This is the only fudgy brownies recipe that you will need. I’ve tested so many brownies recipes, and this is the best one so far, you will not be disappointed.
Oreo brownies- These fudgy Oreo brownies are loaded with Oreo pieces and chocolate chunks have a crinkly top, taste a million times better than boxed brownies, and take under an hour to make.
Dulce de leche brownies- These dulce de leche brownies are made with our favorite fudgy brownies recipe and swirled with caramel-like dulce de leche. This recipe comes together super quickly and is so easy to make.
If you tried this recipe, don’t forget to leave a rating and a comment below. We love hearing from you.
If you liked this recipe
📖 Recipe
Fudgy Dairy Free Brownies
Ingredients
- ¾ cup Vegetable oil or canola oil
- 1 ½ cups Granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
- 2 Eggs
- 1 Egg yolk
- ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
- ⅓ cup Cocoa powder
- ½ teaspoon Espresso powder
- 7.05 oz Dark chocolate or semisweet
- ¾ cups Flour
Instructions
- Preheat an oven to 180c (350f) and prep a parchment paper-lined 8 by 8-inch baking pan.
- In a large mixing bowl, add the wet ingredients: sugar, vegetable oil, eggs, egg yolk, salt, espresso powder, and vanilla extract, and sift the cocoa powder. Stir with a whisk until the mixture is combined.
- Add melted chocolate (melt it in the microwave or on a bain-marie) and mix well with a whisk.
- Add the flour and mix until just combined. You don’t want to develop the gluten in the flour. This step ensures you have fudgy and moist brownies and not dense and dry brownies.
- Pour the batter into a parchment paper-lined baking pan and bake in a 180c (350f) preheated oven for about 30 minutes or until the tops of the brownies are crinkly.
- Allow the brownies to cool for about 1 hour before slicing, so they won't crumble and fall apart. Slice and enjoy!
Notes
- Use room temperature ingredients. It is important that you use room-temperature ingredients like eggs. This step ensures that your mixture mixes into a homogenous mixture and bakes perfectly.
- Don’t overmix the batter, you don’t want to develop the gluten in the flour. This step ensures you have fudgy and moist brownies and not dense and dry brownies.
- Measure your flour correctly! When measuring your flour, avoid scooping it with a measuring cup. Instead, stir the flour with a spoon to create as many air pockets as possible, and spoon it into your measuring cup. Finally, level it with the back of a knife.
- Add some of your favorite add-ins! Make this recipe your own and add your favorite muffins add-ins: chocolate chips, chopped walnuts, chopped pecans, chocolate chunks, M&M, caramel sauce, white chocolate, kinder, toffee, and more! Be creative!
- Be patient! I know it’s extremely tempting to eat these brownies as they are pulled out of the oven, but let these brownies cool for at least 20 minutes so they will be firmer and won’t crumble up.
- Don’t overbake your brownies! To have super fudgy brownies, we like to underbake the brownies a little bit.
- Ensure you line your baking pan with parchment paper to prevent the brownies from sticking to the pan.
Kayla
These came out super well! I baked them for exactly 30 minutes, they were super fudgy and had a thick cracked top when I cut it. Not shiny or flaky, but still crunchy while gooey and fudgy on the inside. I love the use of chocolate and cocoa powder together, it really enhances the flavor!